Display-rack.



PATENTED OCT. 8, 1907.

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R.l E. MARTIN. DISPLAY RACK. APPLIOATION HLM', :13.20, 1907.

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No. 867,738. PATENTED 00T. 8. 1907.

'R. E. MARTIN. DISPLAY RACK.

APPLIUATION FILED F3120. 1907.

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UNITED STATES RALPH E. MARTIN, OF DAVENPORT, IOWA.

DISPLAY-RACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented ott. s, 1 907.

Application filed February 20, 1907. Serial No.` 368.357.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH E. MARTIN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Davenport, in the county of Scott and State of Iowa, have invented a new and Improved Display-Rack, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention is designed to provide a device for displaying merchandise, and particularly wall paper which heretofore has generally been sold from small sample books or from rolls. In either case it has been found impossible to obtain with any degree of satisfaction the general effect of two or more samples com bined or arranged together. When, moreover, the paper is sold from rolls and it is desired to make up 'a combination of colors it is necessary to carry a large number of rolls from their respective bins and arrange them in awkward relation to each other, thereby causing considerable loss of time and labor, and giving but indifferent satisfaction or results.

This invention has for its object, therefore, to provide means adapted to support any desired number of samples of wall paper, so arranged as to readily indicate the character of each sample, and also to provide means adapted to enable such of the individual samples as may be desired to be displayed in combination with each other, so as to show the general effect, as when samples `of wall, border and ceiling papers are displayed in proper relation to each other, or decorative combinations such as panels, cap papers and the like, made up in a screen and shown as an entirety.

Other objects relating to the specific construction and special arrangement of the several parts of my invention will be understood from the following description and accompanying drawings, in which drawings Figure l is a front perspective view of a device em bodying my invention showing auxiliary frames arranged at an angle to a main frame, with a rack frame arranged in side elevation; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one of the auxiliary' frames and rack frames detached;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a fragment of an auxiliary and rack frame, `showing their. connection with each other; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of fragments of the auxiliary and rack frames` separated from each other, and showing a locking connection between the same; Fig. v5 is a side elevation of one of the feet or supports of the main frame, and means for adjusting the Vertical elevation of the frame; Fig. 6 is a side elevation of one of the sides of a rack frame and brackets attached thereto; Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the device with the auxiliary and rack. frames arranged at a right angle lto the plane of the main frame; Fig. 8 is a plan of the device shown in Fig. l; and Fig. 9 is a plan of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 8, with the auxiliary and rack frames arranged in dierent positions therefrom.

As illustrated in the drawings, the main frame is Composedof side bars l,`and sectional end bars 2, the

sections of which bars are connected together by means of unions 3 and 4. The main frame may be made of any suitable construction or material, but is preferably constructed of piping, the sections comprising the ends of the frame being connected together by ordinary pipe couplings. By means of such construction the main frame is made extensible in width.

Auxiliary frames are attached to the main frame and preferably consist of inner side bars 5 which are rotatably mounted at their upper and lower ends respectively in the couplings 3' and 4 of the main frame, so as to form an end connection therewith. End bars extend outward from the side bars 5 and are connected with outer side bars 7.

Inner frames are hinged to the auxiliary frames and comprise inner side bars 8 which are rotatably mounted on socket members 9, preferably attached to the end bars of the auxiliary frame, so as to enable the inner frames to rock on the auxiliary frames. End bars l0. extend outward from the side bars 8 of the inner frame, and are connected together by outer side bars 11. The inner frames are designed to support racks arranged in vertical series in any suitable manner or number, and arranged either in single or double series thereon.

As shown in the drawings brackets 12 and 13 are attached to opposite sides of the side bars of the inner frame and are adapted to support spring rollers ofthe ordinary well known construction, the brackets l2 being provided with apertures 14, and the brackets 13 with slots l5, adapted to receive the ends of said rollers. Rolls of paper 16 may be attached to the ordinary window shade roller by means of cylindrical clips adapted to clamp the end of the roll of paper to the spring roller, so that when the rolls of paper are mounted on the brackets l2 and 13 they may be operated in the same manner as window shades by drawing outward on the end'of the roll so as to exhibit the face thereof. The ends of the rolls of paper may be provided with end bars 17 similar to those now used in curtains, which bind on the inner frame so that whenthe end of the paper is released from the hand and is retracted by the spring tension of the roller, the end bars 17 bind on the inner frames or racks mounted thereon in any suitable manner and hold the ends of the rolls from unwinding. The rollers are made detachable from their supports on the inner frames so that the rolls may belreadily transferred from one rack to another or from one bracket to another on the same rack, so as to arrange two or more samples of paper in the same relation to each other as they are designed to occupy on the walls and ceilings of the room. Thus, a roll may be selected showing stripes for a dado, or lower portion of a room, and another roll selected from any of the racks of the inner frames and placed in position above the striped roll so as to show the combination of said dado with a paper for the upper portion of the wall. By means of such arrangement the samples of paper may be readily inspected as to their fitness and harmony when arranged in combination. It desired a roll of paper may be made up of samples for the upper and lower portion oi the Wall, or for the wall, border and ceiling, or, again, two or more different colors for one pattern may be joined together in one roll. By means of such arrangement a very large number of patterns may be supported upon this device and displayed conveniently, and to great advantage.

The auxiliary frames are adapted to be arranged parallel with each other and extended outward from the main frame at a right angle thereto, as shown in Fig. 7, or they may be arranged at an acute angle to the main frame, as shown in' Figs. 1, 8 and 9. The auxiliary frames are provided with backwardly extending arms 18 preferably attached to the lower portion of said frames, and the arms of the several frames are connected by means of chains 19, preferably provided with turn buckles 20 so as to make said chains adjustable in length, and enable said frames to be moved in unison parallel with each other by moving the outer auxiliary trames, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. End cables 21 connect the arms ofthe outer auxiliary frames with the outer portion oi the main frame and prevent the auxiliary frames, either singly or in series, from being moved over against the main frame. The cables 19 are proportioned in length so as to prevent two adjacent auxiliary iranies from coming in contact with each other, at the same time permitting adjacent frames to be separated from each other when desired, as shown at the leit of Fig. S. When in such position7 the intermediate chain 19 sags between said sections. When the several auxiliary frames are arranged at an acute angle to the mainframe, one oi the end cables 21 also sags, as shown in Fig. 9. By means of such construction, the auxiliary trames when arranged at an actuerangle to the main frame, display enough oi the several rolls to determine their charaeter, and permit a salesman to readily determine which roll he will offer for inspection. The inner frames supporting the said rolls may then be brought into position parallel with the main trame, as shown in Fig. 1, and the roll extended so as to display the same in iront view, as shown in Fig. 1. The inner frame is provided with means adapted to hold said frame in any desired relation to the auxiliary frame upon which it is mounted, consisting preferably oi lugs 22 connected with the inner side bar oi the inner trame, and adapted to engage corresponding notches 23 formed in the adjacent portion of the auxiliary frame.

The main trame is supported upon vertically adjust- .able feet 24 provided with a thread 25 upon which may be mounted a nut 26 by means of which the side bars l of the mainframe may be raised or lowered so as to adjust the frame in a horizontal position on an uneven floor, thereby compensating for any unevenness in the floor. The main rame is preferably provided with guy rods 27 and 28, preferably provided with turn buckles 29 for adjusting the vertical elevation of the main frame. I prefer in most instances to incline the main frame backward slightly so that when the auxiliary trames are moved past a position at right angles to the main irai n e they will readily swing oi their own weight to the right or left of said position, as may be desired. The side bars 8 oi the inner irame have a sliding engagement With the socket members 9 oi the auxiliary frame, so that by raising the inner frames outward they may he detached from the auxiliary trame. Similarly, the side bars 5 oi the auxiliary frame may be detached from the main trame for convenience in packing and shipping.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in its preferred iorm, 1 do not desire to be limit ed to the speciiic construction and arrangement herein described, for the reason that my invention is generic in its nature and may be embodied in other means havingr similar capabilities.

Having thus described my invent ion, what. l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent isz-- '1. The combinationwith :t muin t'rnmc, oi' nuxilinry frames hinged verticallyv to the muin t'rnmc und provided with rearwardly extending arms connected together hy :1

tiexilile coupling, und mcuns connected with suid arms adapted to limit; the pivotal movement oi' suid auxiliary frames on the main t'rume.

2. A display rack comprising a nmin trumc, :ulxiliury frames separately hinged to the umili trame, inner t'rumcs hinged to the outer portion of the :luxilinry t'rumcs :lud adapted to be folded in tihe plane ot the uuxlnry t'rumcs, and display racks secured to the inner frames.

3. A display ruck comprising u nmin l'rzune, :iuxilinry frames hinged separately at one side to the main trame. inner frames hinged at, one side to the outer portion ot' the auxiliary frames, and display racks urr.1ngcd in vertical series on the inner trames.

4. A display rack comprising u main trame, :tuxilitu'y frames hinged separately :1t one side to the mnin t'rzunc. inner frames hinged at: one side to the outcr sidc, portion oi the auxiliary frames, and racks mounted on said iuncr frames and extending in vertical series on opposite sidcs in the plane 01 the auxiliary frames.

A display rack comprising u, main t'rnmc. nuxilizlry frames hinged :it their inner sides to the main l'rnmc und provided with rearwardly extending arms, mcnns tor con necting said arms together, und inner tf1-:nues pivotully mounted on the outer portion olf thc auxiliary tramos.

G. A display ruck comprising a muin t'rume` nuxilinry frames separately hinged ut; their inncr portion tu thu main frame, inner frames hinged at, one side to thc outer portion of the auxiliary frames, und locking mcclmnism adapted to hold the inner frames in tixcd relation to the uuxiliary trames.

7. A display rack comprising :1, main t'rnme having transverse sections and connecting unions, uuxiliury frames hinged :it: one side to the unions ot the umili t'rnmc, und inner trames hinged at one side to thc outer portions' of the auxiliary trames,

In testimony whereof l have signed my nume to this speciiicut'ion in the presence ot' two subscribing witnesses.

RALlIl ll. MARTIN.

Witnesses .T FRANK Yos'r, EDWARD A. SCHMIDT. 

